Late Nights and Onigiri
by Cirro
Summary: Late nights spent sharing food is the perfect recipe for friendship.


It's become a habit for Sanji to sneak out in the middle of the night with a bag of wrapped food and a hoodie pulled over his head to mask his identity. He lives on the second floor along with his adoptive father, but it's not too hard to clamber down the pipes near his window.

He likes to think that he's being stealthy, but he has a heavy suspicion that Zeff knows exactly what he's been up to. It's most evident when Sanji comes home, dead tired with bags under his eyes from a long night, and Zeff gives him this secretly proud look…before gruffly scolding him for staying up too late and to "get his ass in gear. The customers won't serve themselves."

Still, the silent acknowledgement makes him feel elated, and he can't help but feel that making food for people is something he wants to do for his entire life. He never wants to see someone hungry if he can help it. Sanji knows hunger like no one else should, and he doesn't wish it upon his worst enemy. He's one of the lucky ones that survived being out in the streets, and every day he makes it known in little ways that he's grateful to the old man.

About a year ago, he was taken off the streets by Zeff, hungry and miserable after running away from the orphanage a bit before his tenth birthday. He was hunkered down in a restaurant's back alley, trying to find shelter from the rain when the door slammed open, revealing an epic mustache and an impressive chef's toque. By then, Sanji was irritated and hungry and bordering on desperate, so he faced the man directly and levelled a glare in his direction. The effect may have been dampened since he probably looked like a drowned cat, but the intention was clear. Hopefully. Zeff took him in soon after, and taught him things he would have never thought to have learned.

And so now he makes it his unofficial duty to help others because he knows what it's like to starve, and he'll do his best to keep as many people fed as possible.

As per routine, he waits until he's sure Zeff is asleep and unlatches the window of his room, balancing on the ledge and groping in the darkness until he has a sure foothold on one of the pipes. He climbs down carefully until he can jump to the ground, enjoying the rush of falling before he lands. Taking out the key for the back door, he unlatches the lock, cautiously maneuvering in the darkness before he finds his bag of boxed food. It's something new that he's learned, a new recipe that Zeff recently taught him. Onigiri, the Japanese call it, and he thinks it's actually very fun to make, convenient, too.

He takes off into the darkness with his favourite hoodie, grinning like a loon because he has a feeling it will be a good night. He stops by his usual places: his old orphanage, and the homeless shelters surrounding it, leaving the boxed meals on the doorstep and ringing the bell before scurrying away. He can never resist looking back to see their reactions though.

Once, he left one of his meals next to a homeless man sleeping on a bench in the park, tapped his shoulder, and ran. He hid behind a tree, making sure none of the light from the lamp post could give him away before peeking out. The man woke up with a grumble, rubbing his eyes and looking around blearily before spotting the box. Sanji held his breath as the man reached for it and opened it up, eyes widening when he saw the assortment of food. The man sat up and looked around before bursting into tears, gratefully eating Sanji`s food and whispering "thank you." It was one of the best reactions Sanji got.

Really though, Sanji just wants to see people happy. And food is the only way he really knows how to do it.

After stopping by his usual places, he goes around the poverty ridden streets, handing out boxes of food to anyone who seems hungry. There are the usual people, a few families, and children, and Sanji makes sure everyone gets an equal share.

He is in the middle of handing an old man his food when he spots a boy near his age across the street, leaning on a block wall housing dried up plants. He has his hood pulled up, shoulders hunched, and an aggressive posture. Sanji is instantly wary of him, but the boy doesn't seem to be causing trouble.

Sanji glances down at his bag of boxed food. There is only one left. Biting his lip, he builds up the courage to go over to the other boy. You never know, after all. He could be starving, and it would be awful if no one helped him just because he looked scary.

Sanji strides over with a false confidence, approaching the increasingly frightening boy. Up close, he can see that the boy looks more like a punk: Green hair and three piercings glinting in the dim light with a cloth-wrapped stick slung across his back. Sanji's steps falter as he gets closer, but he grits his teeth and wills himself to approach the silent boy without fear.

"Hey." he says. He's proud that his voice doesn't shake. But the boy doesn't respond, only glares at him from under his hood, and it makes him look all the more threatening. Sanji swallows thickly, "would you like some?"

He offers his last box to the boy, fingers shaking a bit when he continues to glare at him.

"I made it myself. It's just some food that my old man taught me to make. You could have it if you're hungry." he offers, trying to fill in the silence. The punk's gaze flicks down to his offering before looking back up at Sanji curiously though he still refuses to say anything. Still, his show of curiosity fuels Sanji's courage and he carries on.

"My name's Sanji, by the way. What's yours?" But damn, the other boy is making this unnecessarily hard, isn't he?

"Zoro."

Sanji almost jumps when he hears the boy's voice. It's raspy like it hasn't been used in a while, and he can see Zoro's brow furrowing under the dim  
>street lights.<p>

"Well, are you gonna take it?" he asks hesitantly. He's not sure what to make of 'Zoro' after all.

"I'm not a charity case."

Sanji frowns. Zoro doesn't really think that he pities him, right? He just wants to help him, is all.

"I just want to share some food…I thought you might be hungry." he explains.

"Don't want it." This guy is becoming more annoying by the minute, and his arm is starting to hurt from holding out the box for so long.

"Aren't you hungry?" he demands. Zoro pauses before reluctantly replying.

"Yeah…"

"Then why don't you just take it?!" Sanji almost wants to throw the box into the punk's face.

"I told you, I'm not a charity case!" he bites out. Sanji groans in frustration.

"I'm not pitying you, you bastard. You're hungry so I just want to give you food. So take it!"

"No!" Sanji feels his eyebrow twitch in anger.

"JUST TAKE THE DAMN FOOD." Sanji yells. The guy is infuriating, and Sanji refuses to back down. Zoro is going to take the food and _like_ it.

Zoro blinks in surprise at Sanji's outburst, and then a shit eating grin forms on his lips.

"Not with that attitude."

Sanji's mouth drops open in indignation.

"FINE! I'll just eat it myself." he says petulantly. This Zoro guy is an insufferable bastard. Who the fuck does he think he is?

Still though, Sanji doesn't like the idea that Zoro's hungry but refuses to eat. What kind of idiot refuses food when they're hungry? The idiot standing in front of him, apparently.

He hops onto the block wall, and pats the spot beside him. Zoro raises a brow at his action, but Sanji just smacks the spot harder, looking at Zoro pointedly.

"What are you waiting for? Sit down."

Zoro cocks his head to the side and looks at Sanji suspiciously before shrugging, seating himself next to the blond without further complaint. He shoves off his hood, revealing his bright green hair to the world. His three earrings chime quietly in the night, and Sanji allows himself to stare at his companion for a bit before turning away.

Sanji opens the box before taking out one of the onigiri, offering it to the insufferable punk beside him.

"Here." he says, shaking his creation in front of Zoro's face. A strange look flickers across Zoro's face before he shakes his head. Zoro opens his mouth, but before he can vocally refuse the food again, Sanji unceremoniously shoves the ball of rice into his mouth, effectively silencing him. Zoro's eyes widen in shock, and he bites down reflexively. He swallows the bite before turning to Sanji with an indignant expression.

"What the fuck?"

Sanji can't help but burst out laughing. Serves the moron right.

"I'm just sharing my food with a friend, idiot." he smirks.

"Friend?" Zoro actually seems bewildered by this, and Sanji feels his heart sink. He may look scary, but he was really just a moron, in Sanji's opinion.

"Yeah, a friend. We're hanging out together eating food. That's what friends do, right?"

Zoro nods like this makes sense, though Sanji thinks he's still stuck at the friends concept. He hopes the guy has friends, and that people aren't scared away by his looks.

"So what's a kid like you wandering the streets at night?" Sanji asks. It occurs to him a little late that Zoro is probably around the same age as him.

Zoro scoffs and looks at him from the corner of his eye.

"I could ask you the same thing." he says before taking another bite from his onigiri. Sanji feels a surge of triumph at the sight, and lets the shadow of his bangs and hood cover the grin spreading across his face.

"Well, I gotta head home soon or the old man will have my head."

"Yeah? You live around here?"

"Just a couple of blocks away, actually. I used to live in the orphanage before the old geezer picked me up." Sanji doesn't know why he's telling Zoro all this, but it feels comfortable and he's actually considering Zoro his friend.

"Orphanage? Really? Me too. 'Cept it was in the next town over." Zoro says.

"Then why are you out here?" Sanji asks, bewildered. It's a pretty far distance. Maybe he ran awa-

"Couldn't find my way back."

Sanji blinks before blurting out,

"You got lost?!"

He can see Zoro's ears turn red at the comment, and the boy crosses his arms in anger before turning away from the blond.

"I didn't get lost, you bastard! Everything just moved around!"

Sanji manages to stifle his giggles before realizing that Zoro is essentially confined to roaming the streets. At night. Alone. Even if Zoro seemed like a punk, Sanji didn't want him to be wandering the streets where he could he get hurt. Trouble could be attracted quickly when you looked like easy prey.

"Where are you gonna stay?" he ventures. He hopes that Zoro isn't completely alone in this part of town. Sanji feels unease creep up his spine.

The grimace forming on his companion's face answers his question.

His expression of horror must have been evident on his face because Zoro starts rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly, avoiding eye contact before muttering,

"I was just planning on staying wherever."

"What?!" Sanji manages to squeak out.

"Why do you care anyway? You just met me." Zoro grumbles. Sanji feels a spike of hurt at that, but pushes it away. It's reasonable that Zoro doesn't trust him after all.

Sanji sets his jaw determinedly, turning to Zoro fully and leaning forward.

"You should come to my place then. No, wait, you are coming to my place and that's final." he says. Whenever Zeff said anything was final, everyone knew he was dead serious; maybe it would work on Zoro, too.

Zoro gives him an incredulous look, searching his face carefully. Sanji can only furiously hope that his sincerity and earnestness will show through. He doesn't know why Zoro's trust is so important, but there's something about the greenhaired boy that makes Sanji consider him family. Maybe it's the fact that they're both orphans, or the fact that they've both known some sort of real hunger, or even that they're around the same age, but Sanji knows that Zoro will become one of the most important people he will meet.

His thoughts are cut off when Zoro turns away and slides off the concrete wall. Sanji feels panic tug at his heart when he thinks Zoro's walking away, but the other boy only takes a few steps before turning around with a raised eyebrow.

"You coming or what?"

Zoro's voice jolts Sanji into action, and he packs up the remaining onigiri quickly to catch up with his new friend, grabbing his hand and tugging him in the right direction.

"It's this way, idiot." he says, grinning.

He leads Zoro back to his home, and sneaks him into the bedroom. The bed isn't meant to hold two growing boys, but Sanji manages to maneuver both of them so that they both fit onto the mattress. He tugs the blanket over their shoulders, and looks over at his companion.

"You better not snore, marimo."

Zoro grunts softly before burrowing his head into their shared pillow, already half asleep. Sanji snorts before giving him a grin, laughing softly when Zoro lets out a loud snore.

"Insufferable bastard." he murmurs.

Despite the noise, Sanji drifts off easily, and when Zeff comes to check on him early in the morning, he finds both boys curled around each other, legs tangled and noses bumping, a box of half eaten onigiri under the window.

* * *

><p>AN: Zeff does not actually let an 11 year old Sanji roam around at night by himself. He keeps a close eye on him, and makes sure he doesn't stray into unfamiliar streets. He's just really proud of his baby eggplant and doesn't want him to think he's babying him is all.

Originally posted on March 16, 2014


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